Yonka’s SERUM VITAL—regenerating, restorative complex: DISCONTINUED/Rebranded

UPDATE 4/2017:
Serum Vital is now rebranded and called ELIXIR VITAL. Same product, different name. I have kept this original article even though it is identical to the ELIXIR VITAL post, which is the new name for this product so those of you searching for the older name can find it here in the discontinued bin.

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Several years ago (2012), Yonka went through a package change as well as removing parabens from all of their products. One of my favorite products, Mesonium 1 & 2, also went through a change: they combined the two bottles into one and gave it a new name: SERUM VITAL.

In the past, I called Mesonium “a facial in a bottle.” When I used this product, usually in the winter months, I really felt it made my skin look as though I had just had a facial treatment. I am happy to say that after using Serum Vital for a 2-week experiment, the results were the same: Facial in a Bottle! 

Serum Vital is a preventative, healing complex beneficial for all skin types. Serum Vital replaces your night creme (for the course of treatment)  and is used as a mega-recovery mission for your face. Some oilier skin types may find this too oily; for those of us with true-dry (oil-dry) skin, Serum Vital is a godsend! Although it is a nighttime cure, I use it day and night. Two squirts seems to do the trick and my skin looks and feels wonderful. See below for my personal instructions on how my own routine at home. 
  
Highly concentrated in botanical extracts, this fluid (with 24 essential amino acids), truly boosts vitality and radiance for mature skin. Serum Vital also benefits skin distressed by a period of fatigue, excessive exposure to sunlight, emotional stress, giving birth, as well as pre- and post-op skin care. This product fights dryness and dehydration, smooths wrinkles and fine lines, and restores a visibly younger appearance to the epidermis.

As an added quality, I love using this product in my facials. When I do the massage, I usually use a quantity of Yonka Serum. Lately I’ve tried using Serum Vital and I have to say it goes onto the just-exfoliated skin so wonderfully and makes the facial massage a dream for me. I truly do love this product! (For aestheticians: Serum Vital is not available in “professional” size. I just use a retail-size bottle in my facials.)

Essential ingredients:

• Beech bud peptides, soy peptides, mineral salts (magnesium, calcium)—restructuring, revitalizing
• Cereal germ oil—regenerating, nourishing 
• Vitamin B5, vitamin PP—soothing, softening
• Vitamin F—anti-dehydrating
• Vitamin E—antioxidant
• Yonka “Quintessence” (essential oils of thyme, lavender, cypress, geranium, and rosemary)—energizing

Directions for use:

In the evening:

• Cleanse with your favorite Yonka cleanser
• Spraying on Yonka Lotion (toner) 
• Shake the bottle of SERUM VITAL well*** and squirt 2-3 pumps into your hand 
• Apply the concentrate to the face and neck, in place of your usual night cream
• Apply eye treatment and you’re done

***Now that the oil and more aqueous (watery) fluid are in the same bottle (Mesonium came in two separate bottles), it is essential to shake the Serum Vital bottle several times—well—to be sure you have mixed the oil and watery mixture together. Soon after you set the bottle down, they will separate again. So, if you wait after shaking, you must shake again in order to get the appropriate application. 

Yonka recommends using Serum Vital as a cure for 30 nights, preferably at the change of seasons. I like to use it for a week at a time when I’m feeling the need. And it is also fine to use this complex as you need it any night, whether within a consecutive week or month. For me, Serum Vital feels like liquid velvet on my skin.

Here is my routine when using Serum Vital. Remember, I have true-dry skin. For those of you with more oil production, your products and the steps you take will be different:

• Cleanse (I usually use Lait Nettoyant)
• Apply Optimizer Serum (I am addicted!)
• Spray my Yonka toner (I use the pink one: Lotion PS)
• Give a good shake up to the Serum Vital bottle 
• Then 2 squirts (that seems to be enough; you may need more, depending) of the luxurious Serum Vital
• Eye cream (I use all 3, so either Nutri- Phyto- or Alpha-Contour)

As I mentioned, when I use Serum Vital as a cure for a week, two weeks, or a whole month (depending on what I feel like I need), I tend to use it day and night. Not always, but I want you to know you really can’t use this product incorrectly. Day, night, day and night; use it as your skin requires. 

For more information, see:

• ELIXIR VITAL (formerly Serum Vital)—regenerating, restorative complex
• Yonka Serums & Concentrates: all links so far
• Yonka—Discontinued: All links so far

As with all Yonka products, Serum Vital is paraben-free. 
 

Yonka’s new skin lightening treatment line ESSENTIAL WHITE: a few thoughts

My aim with all of these articles is to give you honest information on how to take care of your skin based on my 30+ years in the skin care industry as an aesthetician, which includes Yonka-Paris skin care products—products I have used for nearly my entire career.

I base any and all of the information I share about these products on my personal/professional experience with them; sometimes using client comments about their experiences, too. I always encourage you to try things that I may not give a great review to, knowing that my judgement or that of my clients may be different than your own experience. With the Essential White products, this could not be more true.

Since I do not have significant pigmentation problems with my own skin, I carefully chose a few clients who did—clients with hyperpigmentation, the very issue Essential White is meant to address. Not only did I “sample” these products to clients with pigmentation issues, but I also chose people who I knew would use these products as directed. This is an important component. Without using a product as recommended, this would not have been an accurate experiment. (The samples were actually full retail-sized products.)

After these (two) clients used the duo and also the “pen” (Correcteur Cible) for four weeks, I can say without hesitation that I saw no significant improvement in the pigmentation of these select clients. They used as directed and I have seen these clients monthly—for years. I know their skin and I believe I would have seen any differences, no matter how slight, within a month of using Essential White.

Anyone who knows me or even those of you I’ve never met who read this blog know that I love Yonka products. The fact I have continued to use them in my salons—exclusively—for over 30 years is the obvious confirmation of that. So it is not my intention to slam any product from this line, but I do feel compelled as an aesthetician and author to give you, the reader, the most honest and informative advice on how to best take care of your skin as well as my view on individual Yonka products. Therefore I can’t give Essential White a positive review.

As you can read in other articles on “miracle” skin lightening products, I am not a believer. In all the years I’ve been working with skin I have yet to see anything work well on pigmentation issues. In other words: I’ve seen nothing truly lighten dark spots. I had hope for these new Yonka Essential White products, but I really wasn’t expecting miracles. The ineffectiveness I’m talking about is for products (Yonka and others) specifically; there are some treatments, like IPL, that can be quite effective on hyperpigmentation. I will discuss some of these treatments in upcoming articles.

Perhaps one month is not enough time to see noticeable results with pigmentation irregularities. But I can say with certainty that very few clients, myself included, will give a product much more time than that to see marked results.

I have to also add this: The Essential White products do not have any scent—none of the wonderful Yonka aromatics that everyone associates with this product line. I’ve admitted in past articles that I love (and miss in some of the newer products) the original Yonka aromas that are powerful reminders of the essential oil content contained in these products. Certainly, if I found Essential White to work wonders for hyperpigmentation, who cares if they have Yonka aromatics!

Read the specific product information from the link below, and if you have issues with hyperpigmentation and you are so inclined, give these products a try. If you see significant results, please let me know! I will be thrilled to add your positive comments to this blog article.
   

For more information, see:

• ESSENTIAL WHITE skin lightening products
• Hyperpigmentation: all links so far
• IPL & PhotoFacial treatments for hyperpigmentation, capillary issues & scarring
• Hats, Hats, Hats! Protect your skin in the sun

Wholistic or Holistic: However you spell it—make the healthy choice

I choose to spell this word wholistic vs holistic. It immediately implies whole, as in the whole body. No matter how you choose to spell it, this word has gotten a bad rap. For certain people, I think it connotes some sort of airy-fairy, nonsensical, even religious meaning that has nothing to do with its actual definition. The base word is whole. This, as anyone knows, means entire, all, or everything. So wholistic, in relation to the human body means taking into account the body in its entirety.

A wholistic approach to medicine or a medical condition simply means looking at the body as a whole instead of just focusing on the affected area. I use this wholistic approach as a rule whenever I am treating someone with problem skin. It’s never just about the breakout and how to make the blemishes go away.

For me, and thus my clients, it is about looking at the individual as a whole person, breaking down their diets, their exercise programs (or lack of one), and looking at how much stress is in their lives. I also look for other factors such as things that are new. New laundry detergent, a new living situation (new local, new house, new housemate), new foods, (eating unusual food while on vacation, for instance), a new workout routine—new anything that might be contributing to their skin problems.

If you are only treating the symptom, or just one part of the body (in this example, the skin), I believe you are missing out on the total and long-term solution. Try the word wholistic on for size next time you are faced with a skin condition or other problem with your body. Don’t just focus your attention on the symptoms; truly look at all aspects of your life as holding answers to the potential cause or causes of your health concerns. Take a wholistic approach.

For more information, see:

• What is causing your breakouts?
• Dermatology, skin care & 2 sets of belief systems
• Juicing for Health: all links so far

Pricey Products Q & A

Why should I use some expensive cream when I can buy one for a few dollars at the grocery or a chain superstore like Target?

If you can find inexpensive products that work well for your skin, that’s great! You don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money. Experience has shown me that most inexpensive products don’t work for people with problem skin, whether it be breakout or redness or sensitivities. So if you have no-problem skin and find cheaper products that work, by all means use those if you want to.

Ingredients can make a difference—depending on the products they’re in. I like essential oils, and usually the products that contain essential oils are more expensive than what you would find in a grocery or chain store. The bottom line: always find what works best for you. Maybe you can use inexpensive products; maybe you can’t. Your skin will always let you know what you need to do.

I find many skin care systems a little pricey. However, I do realize if you want a good product you have to pay for it. But what do normal, working class women do if they want great skin? I have tried many products and most seem to do well on my skin. I just hope I don’t have to mortgage my home to continue to use a good product!

I realize products can get expensive. However, if you find something that really does work and is something that you can continue to use for a long time, I would imagine you will save money. How? Because you won’t be wasting your time and money on the myriad products out there—many of which I am sure you have purchased, and perhaps without much effect on your skin.

In my opinion, when it comes to your skin you may have to pay a little more to get good products. It can be a hard road finding something that works. Sampling is very important. Then you can try any product in the privacy of your own home and see how it works over several days.

Depending on your skin, you may be able to use an inexpensive product. Just be sure to monitor your skin to be sure whatever you are using is doing a good job and, of course, not causing any problems. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, but percentage-wise, better products do tend to cost more.

For more information, see:

• MYTH: It’s expensive, so it must be good
• Retail vs. Professional skin care products
• Finding the Right Products—for You

Botox, “Mental Botox,” and a client’s comments

Botox® is a very popular anti-aging treatment. It is one of the least harmful procedures, but alas, it is also temporary. Only your inner core belief about life and the aging process is something that can hold its shape unchanged over time.

Botox isn’t technically wrinkle removal; consider it wrinkle postponement. Botox doesn’t truly erase wrinkles; it paralyzes the muscles at the site of injection, prohibiting movement during expressions. Once the toxin is absorbed and removed from the muscle, your ability to express will return, and so will the wrinkles.

Some of you will obviously choose Botox. But where does it really get you in the end? And do we know about the possible long-term detrimental effects of using this toxin over and over again in particular muscles of the face? The answer is no—at this point there are no long-term studies on botulism’s effect long-term. Botox was approved for use in the facial area by the FDA in 2002.

Mental Botox. What I’m introducing is a way to begin being consciously aware of how you are creating your lines and wrinkles through your repetitive and unconscious facial expressions. If you decide to get Botox injections, it will prohibit facial movements but will do nothing to teach you to control your unconscious expressions. Once the Botox wears off, you will be right back where you started, albeit a few months further away from deepening the lines.

I’m beginning to form lines between my brows. The only reason these lines are forming is from crunching up my face from squinting in the bright sun or when I’m worried or upset—oh, and I’m almost 55. Nevertheless it is something I am creating (the wrinkle); nothing else is causing it.

Mental Botox is this: I have simply, over time, learned to direct my conscious awareness to my facial expressions. Sometimes I don’t realize I am making wrinkle-producing expressions immediately, but now when I do become aware that I am, I relax that part of my face so the line will cease to increase. Sometimes I put my finger up there and massage the skin a little bit to help the muscles relax.

Because I am getting older and because skin changes as we age, these lines will end up forming on some level even with this Mental Botox application. However, I can certainly delay their coming and decrease their depth by learning to relax those muscles. This way I am in control of my destiny, and I don’t have to pay hundreds of dollars every few months for a Botox injection. And Mental Botox can be used for the rest of my life. It also enables me to make expressions, which are something that is a part of everyday communication and something lost with Botox.

I believe you can consciously direct yourself away from bad behaviors and habits as well as into new and improved habits. For example, I have not only used this self-programing for when I’m wrinkling my face, but also for when I am grinding my teeth. I now wake myself up when I am grinding my teeth, whereas before I would just wake up in the morning with a jaw ache from grinding all night. I simply told myself to become consciously aware of the grinding and to wake up when it was happening. Although it may sound impossible, it actually works. It’s just a matter of determination, setting a goal, and prioritizing its achievement.

They say we only use a very small percentage of our brain’s capacity. You have the resources within you to make changes, large and small, within your own life and body. Why not give Mental Botox a try? You have nothing to lose and maybe better body awareness to gain.

I had a bit of Botox around my eyes two weeks ago. I’ve been very afraid of that treatment but caved in. I have to say, it has made quite a difference. I just pray that it is safe! What are your thoughts on Botox?

I have said that if I had to get an anti-aging procedure (emphasis on had to), I would most likely choose Botox. To me, it seems the least invasive as well as the least problematic. And the results are temporary, so if it doesn’t do what you want it to do, you aren’t stuck with the results. But for now I will continue to go along using my mind to help me with aging. Yes, I mean using Mental Botox, but more so I mean I will continue to work on developing a healthy attitude of acceptance vs. resistance to the most natural process in our lives and our bodies—the aging process.

For more information, see:

• Trends & fads in skin care
• Botox anyone? What is botox? Plus a client’s cautionary account
• AGING Gracefully: all links so far